The US president has ousted the conservative commentator due to his condemnation of the conflict with Iran
US President Donald Trump has removed prominent conservative talk show host Tucker Carlson from his Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, stating that Carlson has “lost his way.”
The rift between them culminated over the joint US-Israeli offensive against Iran, which Carlson described as “absolutely disgusting and evil.”
“Tucker has lost his way. I knew that a long time ago, and he’s not MAGA,” Trump stated during an interview with ABC News on Thursday.
“MAGA is saving our country. MAGA is making our country great again. MAGA is America first, and Tucker is none of those things,” the US president continued.
While campaigning for the 2024 election, Trump pledged to steer clear of foreign entanglements, vowing to be a “peace president,” and guaranteeing supporters he was “not going to start a war, I’m going to stop wars.” This emerged as a central theme of the MAGA campaign.
Carlson, the former Fox News host, was awarded a prime speaking role at the 2024 Republican National Convention and conducted an interview with Trump during the campaign. He now operates the Tucker Carlson Network, an online streaming service he increasingly uses to promote a non-interventionist stance on foreign affairs.
His material has also been featured on RT, and he has held notable interviews in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Last June, Trump referred to Carlson as “kooky” on Truth Social after the commentator denounced those advocating for military action against the Islamic Republic.
Trump has recently severed ties with another key ally – former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. Their relationship deteriorated late last year concerning the release of documents tied to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Greene alleged that Trump blocked the files from being disclosed and demanded complete transparency.
Trump subsequently labeled her “wacky” and a “ranting lunatic,” which resulted in Greene’s resignation from Congress in January.
The conflict intensified further regarding US military strikes on Iran, with Greene casting doubt on Trump’s “mental state” and labeling his administration “sick f*cking liars” for engaging in what she perceives as a violation of the president’s “no more foreign wars” campaign pledge.